Topic: "Does it matter what a bhuna looks like ?"

[chonk]

The discussion reminds me of a curry-house I visited, that used artificial colourings in almost anything. The lassi, the onion bhajis and the tandoori dishes used all colouring for sure. I even ate some rice kheer once, that was all red by artificial colouring. At that time, I was already into indian cooking, never made that dessert by myself, but knew that is is basically just milk and rice. I was not amused, and it did taste... just meh. Interestingly, my companions didn't believe that there was some fake colouring involved. Maybe that's because we use so much of it in anything today, not just indian restaurant cooking, that some people already forgot how some things really look, and are used to these appearances. On the other hand, there are whole industries that advertise with slogans like "without artificial colouring" and such. To use it that much, like some restaurants seem to do it, is just pure overkill, I think. And it doesn't stop there: The green chili paste I bought, does contain artificial food colouring, too! (some acid yellow, I think) I mean, why?! I simply don't get it. Why not use something, that will give colour, and isn't that unhealthy? And if that isn't possible (or too expensive), at least to avoid all these crazy E-numbers and azo dyes. Will never buy a can of it again, that's for sure.

Greetings!

[Peripatetic Phil]

(snip) The green chili paste I bought, does contain artificial food colouring, too! (some acid yellow, I think) I mean, why?! I simply don't get it. Why not use something, that will give colour, and isn't that unhealthy?

STOP !  "Artificial food colouring" does not entail "unhealthy" : they are completely unrelated.  There are many natural colourings that, were we to be foolish enough to use them in foods, would almost certainly kill us.  And there are many artificial food colourings that are completely benign.  Read, please, the late Professor Jack Pridham's "Chemophilia" for a thorough (and scientific) debunking of the myth that "all chemicals are bad".

** Phil.

[chonk]

Well, of course they are not. But Tartrazin and most of the azo dyes surely are ,) (was talking about these particular, because they are the most used ones in these pastes and colouring powders, so it seems - sorry about my bad wording). Would prefer some aspirin above the pure Salix bark anytime, so I do also believe, that there are many chemicals and synthetic products, that are quite useful and can be healthy (even healthier than their natural counterpart) (:

Greetings!